Chamber endorsement was embarrassing

November 16, 2012

We all want to support Maui's local businesses, but I wonder if "The Chamber View" written by Pamela Tumpap (The Maui News, Saturdays) is actually the Maui Chamber of Commerce members' view.

In Tumpap's column of endorsements for the election, one in particular stood out. The possible choices for our representative in Congress were: Tulsi Gabbard, the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii Legislature at age 21, who voluntarily gave up that seat to serve two tours of duty with the Hawaii National Guard in Iraq and Kuwait, who returned home to become legislative assistant to Sen. Daniel Akaka, then ran for and won a seat on the Honolulu City Council; or Kawika Crowley, a cigar-chomping handyman who lives in his van and whose principle campaign issue was restoring smoking in restaurants and bars.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce chose Crowley.

Gabbard was elected congresswoman with an astonishing 80 percent of the vote and will be one of the first two female combat veterans in history in the U.S. Congress.

Did members of the chamber, Maui's business community, actually vote to endorse Crowley over Gabbard? Is this who local business owners believed would best represent Hawaii in the United States Congress? How embarrassing. Or is this just the view of Tumpap and a tiny political committee?

If the latter, perhaps it is time for Maui's business community to find new leadership, or a new organization more in line with Maui's residents.